The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has clarified the involvement of Professor Sandra Duru in a recently withdrawn criminal complaint, rejecting viral social media claims that Senate President Godswill Akpabio declined an appointment offer to her as false and misleading.
This clarification addressed ongoing legal tensions between Senate President Godswill Akpabio and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan.
Speaking with our correspondent, Head of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Monitoring Unit, CP Akin Fakorede, said the case was thoroughly investigated by the police before being forwarded to the Ministry of Justice for legal action.
Fakorede explained that Professor Duru was formally listed as a prosecution witness during the investigation and in the charges prepared by the Ministry of Justice.
He said her statement was recorded in accordance with established police procedures, providing information to help investigators assess the credibility of the complaint.
Fakorede said, “As part of the investigation, Professor Sandra Duru provided information, including documented conversations between herself and the defendants. These materials were verified, analyzed alongside the alleged offence, and transmitted to the Ministry of Justice.”
He said the Ministry of Justice filed charges in court, but the complainant later instructed his legal team to withdraw all pending cases during the Christmas and New Year period, citing personal reasons related to forgiveness and charity in the spirit of the season.
Fakorede said the police later became aware of social media publications which, he said, grossly misrepresented the facts of the case.
He singled out a post allegedly authored by one Hamza Lamisi, which claimed that CP Fakorede had stated that Senate President Godswill Akpabio declined an appointment offered to Professor Duru.
“That claim is categorically false,” Fakorede said. “I have never met or known anyone by the name Hamza Lamisi, and at no time did the Senate President, either orally or in writing, make such a statement. The Senate President’s statement on the matter is a document of public record and was even tendered before the court.”
He described the publication as a “mischievous falsehood” and disclosed that the police have commenced steps to investigate the matter. Fakorede confirmed that an invitation has been extended to Lamisi to explain the source of the claim.
“These are reckless and predatory actions by individuals who seek to exploit sensitive disputes for attention or personal gain. The statement is fictitious and has no evidential basis whatsoever,” he added.
While reacting to the issue, Professor Sandra Duru also rejected allegations circulating online suggesting that her actions were motivated by personal reward or benefit.
“I categorically deny, in totality, the false and malicious claim that my position on any matter is for reward purposes,” Duru said. “At no time have I received, requested, or negotiated any benefit from Senator Godswill Akpabio or from any individual whatsoever. My interventions are evidence-based, principle-driven, and grounded in documented facts.”
She further clarified that it was Senator Natasha Akpoti who initially contacted her, after which she petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over what she described as grave allegations, including claims related to organ harvesting. According to her, those petitions are on the official police record.
Professor Duru also disclosed that she has petitioned the Inspector-General of Police over what she described as false and derogatory claims allegedly made by Hamza Lamisi, a legislative aide to Senator Akpoti. She said the claims included defamatory allegations concerning her mental health.
“It is the duty of the Nigeria Police Force to compel those making these allegations to provide concrete proof, including any certified medical report,” she said, adding that failure to do so would render the statements “malicious falsehoods and actionable defamation.”
The police have maintained that investigations into the social media publications are ongoing, while urging members of the public to refrain from spreading unverified information capable of misleading the public or undermining investigation.
